ahlam1399
01-21-2019, 07:32 PM
“Blue Monday” is a term invented to describe the depressed state of our finances in late January. Some say it was devised by the marketing departments of travel companies, eager to sell us a summer holiday. But if the credit card bill has arrived, and pre-Christmas payday feels a long time ago, here are some FT thrift tips to stretch your finances a little further.
Loyalty royalties
How much money do you have sitting on reward cards (http://www.ft.com/content/2c6645c6-e9f9-11e5-888e-2eadd5fbc4a4) such as Nectar, Tesco Clubcard and Boots Advantage? It could be more than you think. Spending in store is one option, but you could also boost the value of your points with special deals — check websites for details.
Spend wisely
If you buy anything online, see if you can get free delivery or a discount by searching for the name of the retailer plus “promo code” or “voucher code”. This is surprisingly effective. If you are booking a holiday on Booking.com or Airbnb, get a friend to share their personalised discount code for new users. Already got an account? Set a new one up in your partner’s name and book through that.
Cash sweep
The average British household has around £12 lying around in loose change (http://www.ft.com/content/d4244952-2764-11e8-b27e-cc62a39d57a0). Many branches of Halifax and Barclays have free coin-sorting machines that customers can use to pay in. Branches of Metro Bank offer this service to anyone who walks in, for free. Banks will also exchange old “round pounds” if you find any of those.
Vouchers
Chances are someone gave you a voucher for Christmas — but when does it run out? Make a note in your diary — or better still, use it!
Old accounts
Do you have any money lingering unloved in an old savings account? Britons have an incredible £850m (https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/reclaim-lost-assets-free/) in dormant bank and building society accounts. While you’re looking for the paper work, keep an eye out for old Premium Bonds (http://www.ft.com/content/25de40c2-0ced-11e9-acdc-4d9976f1533b) certificates. It’s easy to register them online on the NS&I website — and you could be eligible for a share of nearly £20m in unclaimed prizes (https://www.nsandi.com/do-i-have-any-unclaimed-prizes).
Freezer audit
To save money on your supermarket shopping this month, have a good look at what’s lurking in your freezer and plan some meals around this. If your freezer is full of UFOs (unidentifiable frozen objects), next month, buy some freezer labels and a marker pen so you can better keep track of what’s in there.
Check your statements
It’s an old one, but a good one. Go through your bank and credit card statements and check that you’re not paying for things you no longer use. Gym membership, television services and magazine subscriptions are key offenders.
Recommended
</p> <img data-srcset="https://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/http%3A%2F%2Fprod-upp-image-read.ft.com%2Fb460ecda-804f-11e8-8e67-1e1a0846c475?source=next&fit=scale-down&compression=best&width=2048 2048w" sizes="(min-width: 1220px) 1168px, (min-width: 980px) 928px, (min-width: 740px) 688px, calc(100vw - 40px)" role="presentation" alt="" class="n-image o-teaser__image n-image--lazy-loading n-image--fade-on-load"/>
(http://www.ft.com/content/08037cd6-7ea7-11e8-8e67-1e1a0846c475)
</p>
Dial up some savings
Is your mobile phone out of contract? If you’re happy with the handset, then ask to switch to a “Sim only” deal where you only pay for calls and data.
Switch your credit card
If a large credit card bill has arrived, look closely to see how much interest you’re being charged. Now is the peak time of year to transfer to a 0 per cent card, and many providers are not charging a transfer fee either. Read our article about 0 per cent cards for more details here (http://www.ft.com/content/2803dddc-1263-11e9-a168-d45595ad076d)— and don’t be tempted by 0 per cent spending offers designed to boost your debts.
Track your spending
More of a tip for next month — make use of free text alerts from your bank. These can tell you immediately if your account is overdrawn, or below a certain limit buying you valuable time to take action to avoid charges.
</p>
Source link (https://www.ft.com/content/6be74708-1d5a-11e9-b126-46fc3ad87c65)
More (http://ahlam1399.i234.me:8888/m/2019/01/21/blue-monday-10-tips-to-stretch-your-cash-further/)
Loyalty royalties
How much money do you have sitting on reward cards (http://www.ft.com/content/2c6645c6-e9f9-11e5-888e-2eadd5fbc4a4) such as Nectar, Tesco Clubcard and Boots Advantage? It could be more than you think. Spending in store is one option, but you could also boost the value of your points with special deals — check websites for details.
Spend wisely
If you buy anything online, see if you can get free delivery or a discount by searching for the name of the retailer plus “promo code” or “voucher code”. This is surprisingly effective. If you are booking a holiday on Booking.com or Airbnb, get a friend to share their personalised discount code for new users. Already got an account? Set a new one up in your partner’s name and book through that.
Cash sweep
The average British household has around £12 lying around in loose change (http://www.ft.com/content/d4244952-2764-11e8-b27e-cc62a39d57a0). Many branches of Halifax and Barclays have free coin-sorting machines that customers can use to pay in. Branches of Metro Bank offer this service to anyone who walks in, for free. Banks will also exchange old “round pounds” if you find any of those.
Vouchers
Chances are someone gave you a voucher for Christmas — but when does it run out? Make a note in your diary — or better still, use it!
Old accounts
Do you have any money lingering unloved in an old savings account? Britons have an incredible £850m (https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/reclaim-lost-assets-free/) in dormant bank and building society accounts. While you’re looking for the paper work, keep an eye out for old Premium Bonds (http://www.ft.com/content/25de40c2-0ced-11e9-acdc-4d9976f1533b) certificates. It’s easy to register them online on the NS&I website — and you could be eligible for a share of nearly £20m in unclaimed prizes (https://www.nsandi.com/do-i-have-any-unclaimed-prizes).
Freezer audit
To save money on your supermarket shopping this month, have a good look at what’s lurking in your freezer and plan some meals around this. If your freezer is full of UFOs (unidentifiable frozen objects), next month, buy some freezer labels and a marker pen so you can better keep track of what’s in there.
Check your statements
It’s an old one, but a good one. Go through your bank and credit card statements and check that you’re not paying for things you no longer use. Gym membership, television services and magazine subscriptions are key offenders.
Recommended
</p> <img data-srcset="https://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/http%3A%2F%2Fprod-upp-image-read.ft.com%2Fb460ecda-804f-11e8-8e67-1e1a0846c475?source=next&fit=scale-down&compression=best&width=2048 2048w" sizes="(min-width: 1220px) 1168px, (min-width: 980px) 928px, (min-width: 740px) 688px, calc(100vw - 40px)" role="presentation" alt="" class="n-image o-teaser__image n-image--lazy-loading n-image--fade-on-load"/>
(http://www.ft.com/content/08037cd6-7ea7-11e8-8e67-1e1a0846c475)
</p>
Dial up some savings
Is your mobile phone out of contract? If you’re happy with the handset, then ask to switch to a “Sim only” deal where you only pay for calls and data.
Switch your credit card
If a large credit card bill has arrived, look closely to see how much interest you’re being charged. Now is the peak time of year to transfer to a 0 per cent card, and many providers are not charging a transfer fee either. Read our article about 0 per cent cards for more details here (http://www.ft.com/content/2803dddc-1263-11e9-a168-d45595ad076d)— and don’t be tempted by 0 per cent spending offers designed to boost your debts.
Track your spending
More of a tip for next month — make use of free text alerts from your bank. These can tell you immediately if your account is overdrawn, or below a certain limit buying you valuable time to take action to avoid charges.
</p>
Source link (https://www.ft.com/content/6be74708-1d5a-11e9-b126-46fc3ad87c65)
More (http://ahlam1399.i234.me:8888/m/2019/01/21/blue-monday-10-tips-to-stretch-your-cash-further/)